Algerian, Pakistani and Burkina Faso pilgrims attend Makkah festival

MAKKAH: Al-Nuzhah neighborhood center held a festival earlier this week to welcome pilgrims from different countries.
Muslims from Burkina Faso, Algeria and Pakistan attended the festival which included a short movie about Makkah and its historical role in hosting pilgrims.
Adel Hafez, the festival organizer, told Arab News that the pilgrims were able to learn about local culture through the event and recognize the historical value of Makkah’s cultural heritage.
Makkah is rich in historical scenes and full of events which have rich cultural significance, of which all pilgrims should be aware, Hafez said.
He pointed out that the relationship between pilgrims and Makkah as a city should not be only by performing the rituals but they should have access to Makkah’s cultural history.
“Whenever you look at Makkah, you will see historical resources and archaeological publications, museums, and archaeological culture,” Hafez added.
He said that they have dedicated this festival to present a brief overview of Makkah culture and heritage where they can focus on folklore.
“We showed them Makkah from the past and present to let them know how our ancestors lived and how they served pilgrims,” he pointed out.
“We showed them a movie that talks about different historical periods and how Makkah’s people had to help pilgrims, plus, the show explained all the efforts of the Saudi government accorded to pilgrims.”
The festival included a competition to recognize the voices of Al-Haram muezzins — people who call prayers — who had interacted among the arrivals from Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Algeria.
Khalid Mushtag, a Pakistani pilgrim, said: “We appreciate the fantastic show and learned a lot about Makkah’s culture. It also gave us an opportunity to have a cultural exchange which enriched everyone who came.”

Hajj Ministry: More than 7.46m Umrah visas issued so far

The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims, and provide them with excellent services and an outstanding experience

Updated 25 May 2019

Arab News

May 25, 2019 15:22

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RIYADH: The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 7,463,259, of which 6,964,943 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Hajj Ministry.
There are 925,246 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 679,929 in Makkah and 245,317 in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Most pilgrims — 6,185,504 — came to the Kingdom by air, while 671,356 entered by land and 108,083 arrived by sea.
The largest number of pilgrims are from Pakistan (1,530,855) followed by Indonesia (934,827), India (635,675), Egypt (524,728), Algeria (353,425), Yemen (323,083), Turkey (300,517), Malaysia (26,9554), Iraq (268,179) and Jordan (194,908).
The weekly data also included the number of Saudi staff within Umrah companies and institutions. They are 10,852 Saudis including 8,978 males and 1,874 females.
Developing Hajj and Umrah organizations and services in the Kingdom is among the top priorities of the Saudi government.
The Vision 2030 reform plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims, and provide them with excellent services and an outstanding experience.